A Brother's Smile
by StarKatt427
Summary: "It was somewhat entrancing, watching his brother like this, never in living memory having seen Al so…limitless, he guessed was the word for what he was seeing." - Brotherhood/manga based.


**Disclaimer: I don't own the world of FullMetal Alchemist: Hiromu Arakawa is the creator. **

**A/N: My fourteenth story...dang. Well, it's back to FMA, and this time, it's another brotherly Edward and Alphonse one. I got the idea for this story after I read a short oneshot about Al in the rain, and I thought it would be fun to work with. We're mainly inside Edward's head, but you get a little of Al. I did this one pretty quickly, which surprised me a bit because I had some trouble coming up with the right words or the right emotions and actions at times, but I gotta say that I'm happy with the way it came out (I really like the last few lines). And I know that you don't have to, but please review if you like it enough, and if you see any mistakes or misspelled words, please let me know so I can fix it; I like neatness and correctness!  
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**StarKatt427**

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><p>Edward walked in through the back door of the Rockbell home, a hammer gripped loosely in one hand and the back of the other gliding over his forehead in an attempt to wipe away some of the sweat coating his face, scowling the whole while. The shirt he wore clung to his back and chest, damp and sticky, and thin strands of hair that had come out of his ponytail were now plastered to his neck. <em>Damn those women<em>, he thought with a dark scowl, the summer heat gradually beginning to leave his tired body and the coolness of the house flooding his hot skin as he walked from the pantry and began heading to the kitchen, passing Pinako's workroom and knowing without looking that she sat working busily on one of her client's automail limbs, the family dog fast asleep on the floor.

Once he had reached the kitchen, Ed grabbed a glass and pored it almost to the brim with water, then turned it up and the let the cold liquid run down his dry throat, the whole time still mentally cursing the two women he lived with, especially since it seemed they were always able to find some kind of job for him to do on the worst of dogs days when all he wanted was to lounge around and sleep. One day, the task would be simple, like fixing a squeaky shutter or replacing a light bulb when one blew, and then there were days when it seemed like Pinako and Winry just enjoyed seeing him squirm and complain and die out in the heat of the sun as he chopped up a fallen tree's limbs or, like today, repaired the fence that lined the walkway to the house. Even though he'd been home for a little over a month, it seemed the two never were at a loss of jobs for him to do, and their excuse for giving him this work was one that could be viable, but also one he knew wasn't completely: he needed the therapy for his arm.

Bull. He'd already worked his right arm back to where it was only a little smaller than his left, and there was no way all these chores would really help. Winry and Granny just made him do it because he was free labor; if he lived and ate and slept there, then he'd have to help out.

There was one person, however, that didn't have to do much of anything, and that was Alphonse, but even if the Rockbell women had tried to give him jobs to do, there was no way Edward would have allowed it. Yes, Al was a lot stronger than he'd been a few months ago, but he was still way too thin for Edward to accept as exactly healthy, his muscles small and unaccustomed to intense toil, easily tired. In some ways, he was lucky because of the slack he got.

Still, as Ed swallowed the last of his water, he felt his scowl lessen as he admitted that he wouldn't have had it any other way, wouldn't have Alphonse worrying over chores for a little while longer, at least. Until then, that was his job, and he tried to force himself not to think about how hot and tired he was.

He wiped a hand over his mouth, wanting to just drown himself in a tub of ice, but since that was out of the question, a cold shower was calling his name. Still frowning slightly from the heat and the soreness in his right arm, he sat the glass by the sink and walked out into the hall, sliding his shirt off in the process and sighing contently at the coldness on his bare back and chest.

As he passed Winry's workroom, shirt thrown over one shoulder, Edward peaked in but didn't see her at her desk, so he figured she was probably on the front porch or in her room. He walked on to the staircase, already imagining the nap that was in the near future; a clean, cool nap, free of the ninety degree heat and of badgering women.

"Ed!" a voice hissed softly.

He rolled his eyes and glared at Winry where she sat across from him in the living room. "What?" he asked, voice loud compared to her whisper.

She shushed him, frowning slightly, and then she smiled again, motioning with her hand. "C'mere."

"Why?" he asked, though he did oblige, hands shoved in his pockets as he walked toward the den. Edward stopped in the doorway, leaning against the wooden frame, still frowning because he really wanted to hurry up and get in the shower and just lay around somewhere until dinnertime.

Winry beamed at him with bright eyes, then looked away from Ed and pointed ahead of her. "Just look," she said softly, not quite whispering any longer but still quiet, which resulted in a small seed of curiosity planting itself in Edward's mind because she was hardly ever quiet. He looked over, following her finger.

And then his eyes softened more than most people thought possible, his frown disappearing all together at the sight before him.

Alphonse lay on the couch and, instead of sprawled out like Ed liked to be when he slept, was curled into a loose ball, one hand resting above his knees and the other by his face, body rising up and down with the softness of his breathing.

Edward simply stared at his little brother for a minute, words no longer forming in his head, and he stood beside where Winry sat grinning, her gaze switching from Al to Ed.

It had been months since Al had gotten his body back, had finally smiled and laughed and ate and slept, but still, every time Ed would see the boy asleep, his breath would catch for just a moment because he was _really sleeping_. For someone who hadn't had a physical human body in five years, slumber was the greatest comfort imaginable, and Alphonse hadn't wasted any time in catching up on his years without it. But over the last few weeks, Edward had noticed sleep came differently for Al now; sometimes he slept the whole night through, and others he woke often, unable to fall back asleep for hours, which resulted in him sleeping more during the day.

At the moment, Alphonse was fast asleep, and Edward felt the weight and worry he'd been carrying for the last few weeks settle over him once again; because maybe Al would never get back on track and would always be sleeping irregularly, and it made Ed anxious, but not as much as some of the other things concerning his brother did, such as his weight and ability to eat enough.

"He's been like that for almost an hour now," Winry said quietly, her back against one of the chair arms and her knees drawn up, legs crossed at the ankles. "We'd been talking for a while, and then I started reading an article in a magazine and he got really quiet. When I looked up, he was out."

Edward didn't say anything, instead choosing to walk to the couch, leaning over it to look down at Alphonse's sleeping form.

It was amazing, just how young he looked when he slept; to Ed, Alphonse still looked young period, but he _was _getting older, his features maturing. Al's fingers were curled in over his palm, thin arms close to his chest, and Edward could see just how small his wrists were, the way they still seemed fragile. He squatted down beside Al, heard his breathing, the way he inhaled through his nose and exhaled in little puffs through his mouth, just like he had as a little kid, and Ed smiled. Blonde bangs hung over the younger boy's forehead and closed eyes, and without even thinking, Edward reached out and gently brushed them away. Al never stirred.

He looked soft and safe, contented as he slept; maybe he was having a good dream. Edward hoped so. He smiled, letting his hand rest on Al's head for a moment, then pulled it back and simply stared at his brother.

"He's perfect, isn't he?" Winry said, her voice proud and affectionate, her words making Ed's heart soar.

He smiled. "Yeah."

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><p>About an hour after Edward had gotten his shower, the sun had vanished, and in its place were pale silver clouds that steadily darkened over the day until, by dinner, they were a dark gray. Ed sat in the kitchen now with his brother and the Rockbells as they ate the meal Pinako had made, one that, to him, had way too many vegetables and not enough meat. Still, he ate it with vigor.<p>

When he'd come back to the den earlier that afternoon, clean and hair still dripping water, Winry had been gone, but Al had still been asleep. He'd ended up in her vacant chair, feet resting on a table, and then he'd fallen asleep almost immediately and had remained so for an hour. After waking up, he'd seen Al was no longer on the couch.

Although he didn't like thinking about it, it really did worry him that Alphonse wasn't getting as much sleep as he had been in previous months. Sure, he caught up with it during the day, and Ed knew that it would be a while yet before he got all of his strength back, but he still wondered if it was bad on his body to be sleeping so much during daylight hours.

Edward was brought back to the present when a crash of thunder, the loudest they'd heard so far, rattled the house and made the lamp overhead sway.

"A bit late for a thunderstorm, isn't it?" Winry asked, looking to her grandmother.

"It's nothing but a shower probably," Pinako replied as she placed another spoonful of carrots on her plate. "It makes a lot of noise, but it won't last for long."

In most cases, Edward would be ready to argue with an assumption like that, but over the years, he'd come to know that the old woman was usually correct in matters concerning the weather, so he trusted her judgment and instead ate another bite of the strange casserole they were eating.

"About time, too," the woman continued. "It's been so dry, I thought we were going through a drought."

"When was the last time it rained?" Alphonse asked.

"Hmm…'bout half a month before you boys got back, I guess."

_No wonder they've been getting me to water the freaking grass_, Edward thought, wondering how the neighbors' crops were doing, if they were able to get enough water to them or not. A dry summer; that had been what his mother had called it, when the sun would blare down on everything and their wasn't a drop of rain for months sometimes. He could remember going through dry spells like that at a young age, and it had always rained eventually, the fresh water replenishing the scorched earth and causing the temperature to drop several degrees.

Quiet, so quiet that Ed wasn't sure if Winry or Pinako heard, Al sighed softly.

Almost like a reflex, Edward felt himself seize up only for a second, and then moved his foot and hit it against Al's leg. After Alphonse jerked slightly and looked over, Ed asked with his eyes, _You okay_?

Alphonse blinked quickly, then smiled as if to say, _I fine_.

But Ed noticed something felt off, either in his smile or the way his eyes looked different, sad almost. He glared at his brother softly.

Al gave him an exasperated expression but still smiled, a real smile this time, humored.

And Ed relaxed, but not completely, because Al didn't sigh like that unless he was deep in thought. So, making sure that Winry and Pinako were busy talking about what all was going on around town, Edward looked out of the corner of his eye and watched him.

Alphonse ate every now and then, but not much, and mostly kept his elbow on the table, chin on his palm as he looked outside the window to where it was steadily growing darker. His eyes weren't as bright as usual, swirling and somehow hopeful, but for what, Ed wasn't sure.

By now, Edward wasn't trying to be inconspicuous anymore and was simply staring at him with somewhat brooding eyes. It bothered him, not knowing what made Alphonse like this, grow distant and away from him. He felt jumpy almost, unsettled.

What the hell was Al _thinking_?

And then he found himself wondering how many times the same thing had happened before, only their places were reversed. How many times over the past five years had Edward been so caught up in something that he drew in on himself, allowed his thoughts to almost consume him? How many time had Alphonse sat there, wondering and watching, wishing he could pull him back and away from his inner darkness?

Was that how Al was now, lost to shadow thoughts and phantoms? And if so, why?

Ed bit his lip harshly in frustration.

"Uh, Ed?" Winry asked suddenly, nearly making him jump.

He looked over at her, hoping he didn't look at disturbed as he felt. "What?"

"You okay?"

Of course she'd seen him watching Al, had seen the worry in his eyes. He didn't really want to lie, because he didn't know how to answer her, honestly; he was okay, but Al might not be, which would mean Ed really _wasn't _fine. But lying might be safer, so he said, "Yeah, I'm good."

She didn't believe him, he saw that right away. She pursed her lips and her eyebrows knitted, but she let it drop, deeming him able to handle whatever was wrong by himself, and he felt a surge of gratitude for her swell up in his chest, along with that all familiar warmth that almost always made an appearance when he thought about her. He smiled crookedly for just a moment, and then looked once more back at Al, who now watched him questioningly, trying to see if he really _was _alright.

If lying to Winry was useless, lying to Al would be impossible; the boys knew each other better than they knew themselves, and secrets and deceit weren't well kept from one another. So, before Al could say anything, Ed turned back to his food and several bites in his mouth.

Conversation lessened after this, Edward focusing on his food and Winry on Edward, Al periodically looking at his brother then back out the window, and Pinako simply watching the three teenagers, partly amused and a tiny bit concerned.

Another clap of thunder roared overhead, and then the house was filled with the soft _tap tap_ of raindrops hitting the roof and windows.

Edward looked out and saw that a steady shower had begun, not exactly light, but without any great force. He saw rain falling in lines across the yard, the leaves of an adjacent tree already dripping round drops, the grass soaking up the water. It patted against the window and ran down like tears, leaving beads in places and streaks in others, patterning the glass.

Across the table, Pinako smiled. "Finally."

It was pretty, Ed admitted. Although he hadn't been very fond of rainy days during his childhood because it meant he couldn't play outside and during his and Al's journey because there wasn't anything he could really do when it rained, it was actually somewhat pleasant now. He hadn't seen rain in a while, and it was nice.

With a half smile, he looked over at Al and was about to bring up a memory of a time long ago, back when they both were little and there had been a terrible storm and the electricity had gone out, but instead found his smile slipping away until he was watching his brother worriedly. "Al?"

Alphonse was staring out the window, eyes somewhat wide and far away, no longer at the table, no longer with Edward. He sat straight up in his chair, not moving, just simply staring out into the rain.

Edward felt his voice rise and octave. "Al?" he repeated, reaching a hand out to rest on Alphonse's shoulder.

"Rain."

Ed's hand froze just before touching him, unable to make himself move and break whatever spell Alphonse was under. The word had entered the world in an exhale, soft and almost like he couldn't catch his breath, and it made Edward's chest constrict. He watched as Alphonse blinked, like he was coming back to his senses, but he never looked away from the window.

And then he was gone, moving so quickly that his chair tipped over and hit the floor, fllying toward the front door.

"Al!" Ed yelled, following after him, barely even hearing Winry's distressed call or Pinako's question as he ran out of the kitchen several spaces behind Alphonse.

_What the hell just happened? _Edward thought frantically, more scared than he'd like to admit, the fear even worse than the day he'd fallen over on Al in the hospital and had nearly cause him to crack his skull open. _What's wrong with him?_

The door was ajar from where Al had ran through it, and Ed burst out into the wet afternoon, the rain unable to hit him from where he stood on the porch, cool wind hitting his face and arms. Pupils dilated, his eyes danced over the yard, frantic in their search as he looked for Alphonse.

And then he saw him, standing out about five yards from the steps in the rain.

Edward watched in confused amazement for a second, trying to figure out what Al was doing out there. He saw him lift his hand, catching rainwater in his palm, then flexing it and allowing the water to flow out between his fingers. His bare feet were sunk into the wet grass, and, although Ed couldn't see, Al curled his toes, moving his feet this way and that along the ground. The gray shirt he wore was almost completely soaked through, his pants still somewhat dry, and his hair was stuck to the back of his head and along his neck. He turned around slowly, facing Edward for a moment, and he watched as Alphonse turned his face up to the sky, hands palm up.

It was somewhat entrancing, watching his brother like this, never in living memory having seen Alphonse so…limitless, Edward guessed was the word for what he was seeing. Somwthing tender pulled at him.

It turned into raw panic though and made his heart skip several beats when he saw the lightning flash overhead and heard thunder rumble just seconds later.

"Al, you idiot!" he screamed, running out into the rain, feeling the water hit his cheeks and soak into his shirt and against his skin, bangs sticking to his damp face. He moved quickly toward Alphonse, shoes making squelching sounds as they traveled over the wet grass.

Alphonse had looked up when he'd heard Edward, eyes widening, but he made no move to come back, and when Edward had finally reached him, Al was trying not to smile.

"What are you doing, dumbass?" Ed yelled at him, his hand locking on to Al's wrist, and he tried to keep his hold light enough so that he didn't hurt him. It was hard, keeping his temper under control, but why was Al doing crap that would give him a heart attack? "Why'd you run out in the rain? In case you've been too busy to notice, it's lightening!"

And then Alphonse laughed. The sound bubbled out of his stomach, a belly laugh, and he closed his eyes when he saw Ed's expression, all confused and mad and worried; even though he knew he shouldn't be laughing, he couldn't help it, because this was just like Edward.

"What the hell's so funny?" Edward demanded, still holding Al by the wrist. Ed pulled him forward slightly, making Al look at him even as he still laughed. Was this really the time or the place for laughter, even from Alphonse? Ed's heart had pretty much just stopped, after all.

"You, Brother!" Al said, grinning up at Ed, hair stuck flat to his face. He laughed again, more controlled now.

Edward growled, his patience wearing thin as his grip tightened slightly. "So you _were _trying to give me a heart attack," he said, scowling.

"No, no, it's not that, it's—"

"Never mind," Edward seethed in a no nonsense tone of voice as he pulled at his brother and began to walk back to house. "Come on, get back inside."

Did he have any clue how much he had scared Ed? Any at all? Alphonse just wasn't supposed to do things like that anymore, not after what he'd pulled during the fight with Father, not after he'd sacrificed himself to get Ed's arm back. That had been the most idiot, ludicrous thing Edward had ever seen, even if he did understand the reasons. Al wasn't allowed to have to take risks like that, not while Edward was around.

"Brother, wait a second!"

Ed snarled, unable to stop the sound from exiting his throat. "_What_?" he demanded, infuriated and somewhat hurt and he turned back to face Alphonse.

At the moment he turned, Ed's foot slipped across the grass, and before he could even think about trying to catch himself, he was falling onto the ground, hand still wrapped around Al's wrist. He landed on his back, the cold earth underneath him and the dark sky above, and he stared straight up, too shocked to move for a moment.

He heard a muttered "Ow," and when he looked over, Al was making his way into a sitting position, a hand rubbing at the back of his head and hair sticking up like a fledgling's feathers.

Edward jerked up and glared at Alphonse, trying not to feel guilty as his brother winced and wishing his damned hands would stop shaking; with fear or anger, he knew which, but he didn't want to admit it. "Why did you do that?" he asked, voice quavering only slightly.

Al looked at him, slightly unsure. "Do what?"

"Run out of the house like that!" he yelled, glaring darkly at his brother, and without meaning to, his hands tightened into fists. The only problem with that, though, was the fact that he still held Al's wrist, so when he saw Al biting the inside of his jaw and his eyes furrow, he immediately let go, unable to apologize because his throat was too thick. He looked away, glowering at the ground beside him.

Alphonse placed his hands on the ground to support himself, and then he was smiling again, not in the way he'd been earlier when he'd laughed, but in a very gentle way that said he understood Ed's fear. He sighed, then chuckled.

Edward's eyes jerked up and he gave Al a look that clearly said 'pissed off'. "Don't you dare laugh again."

"Sorry."

"Now tell me. What were you doing?"

Edward watched as Al looked up, rain hitting against his eyes and nose and lips and cheeks, causing his hair to lay down against his head. He closed his eyes for a moment, lashes glistening with rain, almost like they were tears, and then looked back at Ed and said softly, "It was raining."

Ed stared at him, completely lost. "So?"

Alphonse smiled and pulled his knees up to rest his arms on them. "It's the first time it's really rained since I got my body back," he said, watching as the fat drops fell onto his skin. "It rained in Central, but I was in the hospital and couldn't go outside." He looked back at Ed. "I just wanted to _feel _it again, because I'd forgotten what it's like."

If Edward's throat had been thick before, it now was almost completely impossible for him to swallow as he looked at his little brother, once more feeling that familiar guilt at having taken five years away from Al, because even though he was back in his body, he wouldn't have any physical memories from that time. This was the first time Alphonse had felt the rain in years, and Edward hadn't even thought about how he must feel.

His brother was a beautiful soul, one who asked for little and gave a lot, the person that was always by his side, always constant except for the few moments of utter disquiet and restlessness, the result his absence had on Edward. Alphonse deserved better than what he'd given him.

He should have known Al wouldn't do anything stupid or reckless, not now, but his fear had gotten the better of him, and he looked at Alphonse in remorse because of his compulsive actions. Edward sucked his bottom lip under his top, contemplating. "And how was it?" he asked anxiously, wondering if he really _had_ screwed this up.

For a second, Al just stared at Ed, no real emotion visible on his face, and Edward felt dread flare up again.

But then Al grinned, a smile so similar to his own that it sometimes made them look like twins. "Better than I remembered."

And Edward smiled, chest swelling up with pride and devotion and love for Al.

He didn't say anything else, and then Alphonse cocked his head to the side, watching Ed in a curious, guilty way. "I scared you, huh?" he asked, not needing an answer, his voice losing it's previous carefree tone.

Earlier, Edward would have flat out told him yes, that he was an idiot and to not do anything stupid like that again, and even now, he knew his answer would still be the same, but it would also be different, less brash.

"Yeah," he said, looking right back at Alphonse, "'cause I thought something was wrong, and then with the lightning and all…"

"Sorry."

"Me too. For freaking out. And about your wrist."

Alphonse laughed, clearly relieved. "At least I can feel it."

Ed smiled crookedly in return, then looked back to the heavens at the rain. He was silent for a little while, and then he said, "You remember when we were little, how we used to catch rain in our mouths?"

"Yeah," Alphonse answered, smiling at the memory. Without thinking twice about it, he opened with mouth and caught several raindrops, then looked over and grinned at Ed, waiting for him to do the same.

Edward rolled his eyes fondly, following his brother's example tilting his head back, parting his lips and allowing the rain to land on his tongue and lips. He smiled, feeling like an idiot and loving every minute of it, sitting here with his head thrown back and mouth open, completely soaked and sitting on his butt on the wet ground.

When he was looking at his brother again, he cocked his eyebrow at Al and shook his ponytail out like a dog, splattering Alphonse with water and causing them both to laugh. As their laughter petered out, another flash of lightning appeared overhead, and Ed looked back up and sighed. "Okay, you've had your fun. Now come on. I don't want you ending up a charred toothpick."

"Brother…" Al mumbled, amused, then carefully and somewhat clumsily made it to his feet.

Edward got to his knees and took the hand Alphonse had outstretched to him, but once again, just as luck would have it, his foot slipped and he ended falling onto his stomach, face in the ground, the last thing he saw being Al's wide eyes as he pulled him down along with him yet again, and Alphonse landed across Edward's back.

The brothers lay there, both too stunned to move for a second, Al's stomach on Ed's lower back. Edward lifted his face up from the ground, spitting grass and water out of his mouth as he looked over his shoulder to see if Alphonse was alright, and Al did the same. When they saw each other, both froze, Alphonse's face just wet and Edward's wet _and _muddy _and _covered with bits of grass.

For a second, Al kept his composure. But when Edward spit out another blade of grass, he laughed even harder than when Ed had been so worried for no reason earlier. Edward tried to glare, but then he was smiling and laughing too, moving himself to where he was on his knees and had his palms to the ground, Alphonse still leaning over his back and laughing, and when Ed's hand slipped (this was not a good day for him) they both lost themselves to hysterics once again.

By the time Al finally lifted himself off of Ed, Edward was on his back and laughing so hard his cheeks hurt, and hand thrown over his eyes to wipe away the tears of mirth, and Alphonse lay on his stomach a few inches away, trying to keep himself from breaking down into laughter again.

Finally done laughing but still smiling widely, Ed moved his arm away and glanced over at Alphonse, only to find that Al was watching him as well, his smile big and cheeks flushed, water dripping from his short hair, his fingers curling over the grass.

Most people would have though they were crazy probably; completely insane. After all the things they'd gone through and the hell they had seen, it was even possible. But there was one thing that kept Edward sane, and that was Alphonse. So with Al around, maybe it wasn't so bad to act like a kid again, to open his mouth and swallow raindrops, to break down and just bawl, to be weak in front of him, to trust him with half of the burden of their sin.

And he did now.

Deep down, Edward knew everything would be fine. He was alright, and Al was alright, even with the unusual sleeping pattern and the lack of weight and muscles; he would be alright because Ed was going to make sure he was, and all he had to do was trust that things would work themselves out in time.

If most people thought they were insane, then screw most people. Ed only needed the ones who really mattered anyway.

He smiled gently at Alphonse, enjoying the way the rain felt on his skin and knowing that if he liked it, Al must love it. So he sighed, lifting himself up so that he was looking down at Al, and Alphonse watched him, smile small and affectionate, a smile only Edward would know and completely understand: a brother's smile, one that was fully trusting and devoted and filled with love and honesty, the unbreakable bond that was brotherhood.

Ed smiled, reaching out to push the wet hair off Al's forehead. "Let's get going. We can watch from inside."

Alphonse nodded in agreement.

Once Edward finally made it to his feet without falling, he reached back and pulled Al up, and they began walking back to the house, playfully bumping each other's shoulder and casually chatting away, side by side; their connection the same, but somehow altered.

Because Edward felt he understood Alphonse better than ever before, if that was even possible.


End file.
